London Song
by Ruby Sparrow
Summary: *AU* The 1800s, in the Whitechapel area of London, England, prostitutes are dieing left and right. Lord Orin Travis, a member of the House of Lords, forms a group of seven men, to hunt down the murderess Jack the Ripper. *Rated T for now may change later*
1. The Heroes in the Dark

**Disclaimer:**I do not own "The Magnificent Seven" story line, characters, settings, or anything else to do with it. I am in no way getting paid for this story unless you count the fun I had writing it.

**Summary:** The 1800s, in the Whitechapel area of London, England, prostitutes are dieing left and right. Lord Orin Travis, a member of the House of Lords, is tried of people saying that nothing is being done to stop the murders. He forms a group of seven men, each one with his own skill, to work together and stop the murders. After having a few problems getting to trust one another, they now form an odd group of men but a group that gets the job done. They now wander the streets of London, turning the hunter into the hunted but will they be able to stop the murderess Jack the Ripper.

**London Song**

By: Ruby Sparrow

**Chapter I: The Heroes in the Dark **

The last golden rays of the setting sun had slowly disappeared behind the buildings of London as the fog moved in off the bay. Most decent folks had returned home already, not wanting to be associated with the 'creatures of the night'. It was a silent night as the rodents in the ally searched the grounds for food but the hunt for dinner was disturbed by the sound of footsteps getting closer.

Gloriana Walker had had a bad feeling about coming out tonight but with her son being ill she needed the money, badly. Her daughter was taking care of him while she was working.

She had never had a bad night, normally having many men wanting her company and willing to pay a pretty penny for it. Gloriana was not a plain woman, with her golden blond hair and deep blue eyes. A fair and very soft skin, she was not one of the normal girls that one would find walking the streets at night. She would make a fine wife for any gentleman, if she had been born into a wealthier family. She once had a happy life but now here she was working the streets, trying to get enough money to take care of her two kids and to keep the make-shift house they resided in.

She was going to try a new part of town tonight but had to find somewhere that didn't have territory girls, women that didn't take too kindly to new faces in their part. So now she was on her way to visit a friend of her. The one who had showed her the ropes of working the streets and how to handle any unwanted trouble.

About to turn a corner she heard a noise, stopping her in her tracks, footsteps and they were coming towards her. _Who would be in an alleyway? _She asked herself trying to stay clam. _Maybe it's just a mouse,_ she thought, the footsteps getting closer and louder, _a very big mouse._ She started walking again, heading for the main street and leaving the ally. Listening to the steps that still followed her and getting closer. She rounded the corner realizing that she was now running, she held the front of her dress keeping it up, out of the way of her legs. Looking back over her shoulder she didn't see the puddle of water, slipping in it she fell to her knees getting the front of her dress wet. Hearing the footsteps getting to the corner she held her breath and closed her eyes not wanting to see what was to come.

"Here now, what's with all the running?" Gloriana turned to see Maddy leaning over her offering her a hand up. "If I didn't know better I think you were running from Jack the Ripper."

"Truth be told Maddy, I thought I was," she said taking the hand and standing up, she started to ring out the water from her dress. "What are you doing here?"

"Went to see a friend of my, live near the area she does," Maddy answered. "And what are you doing out and about Annie, thought you were going to stay in tonight, looking after Danny."

"Emily's watching over him, we need the money too badly for me not to work and I was coming to see you," she said as she started walking. She didn't like standing in one place for too long, more so now with all of the murders that had been going on. She made for the entrance of the ally hoping to get to where there were a few more people about. "You shouldn't be out all by yourself."

A chuckle came from Maddy as she walked along side her, "I could say the same for you."

"Yes, I guess you're right but you're also my only friend so who else would I walk…" she looked toward Maddy just in time to see the shadow coming up behind them and the flash of the moonlight off the blade it held in its hand. "MADDY!"

Annie jumped knocking Maddy to the ground, both landing in another puddle. Before she could even try to stand two hands grabbed her by the shoulders, picking her up and pushing her back against the wall of a building. One of the hands held her while the other one went to her throat, cutting off her air. She clawed at the arm as she stared into the face of a man. A scar ran down his face, right across his nose and she noticed he was missing most of his teeth as he grinned at her. Annie kicked at his legs, his stomach but he wouldn't let go, she could see Maddy pounding at his back but he just knocked her off without even losing his hold on Annie's neck.

Annie was losing air and fast, her eyes was starting to lose focus, _this is it, this is the end._ Her thoughts started drifting to her children, wondering what would become of them, who would take care of them? She began to pray for them when suddenly she realized that she was no longer being held to the wall and that the man was gone. She scanned the ally as her lungs fought to get air back into them. Her eyes searched for the teeth less man but all they found was a pale face and emerald green eyes right in front of her staring back into her blue ones.

"Are you alright?" The new man asked.

"I'm…I'm…" Annie couldn't talk, who was this man. She couldn't get her thoughts under control. _Why? Why would he help me?_

"Ma'am are you alright?" he asked again.

She only nodded that she was okay, her eyes catching movement off to the side. There was another man fighting with the scared man and it looked like he was winning.

"Annie, you alright?" Maddy had climbed over to her almost pushing the pale man out of the way.

"I do believe miss, that you and your friend should make a hasty retreat out of here," green eyes replied.

Gloriana just stared at the man, not recognizing his accent, _who are these people?_ She looked from the fight going on to the two in front of her, none of whom saw the other man coming up behind them with another blade. She tried to yell but her voice wouldn't work.

"**EZRA LOOK OUT!!**"

Annie only heard the voice as green eyes turned throwing his arm up. There was a yell, a flash of light, and a gun short.

The shot pulled her eyes away down the ally, to see yet another man standing holding a still smoking gun. Looking closer she noticed that this man however was still fairly young, _he's just a boy._

"Damn they got away." Her head turned toward the man that had been fighting, he was lying on his back staring up the alleyway as the two shadows ran off, one of them holding his arm as it hung limp at his side. Gloriana looked back to the young man with the gun, _he hit him, at that distance, and in the dark._ Now she was _really _wondering who these people were. "You ladies alright?" The fighter had come to stand next to them, she could just barely make out the well kept mustache on his face.

"We're just fine love," Maddy answered, "ain't that right Annie? Annie?"

Annie wasn't looking at them, she was looking at the green eyed man sitting off to the side, holding his right arm close to him. She could see the blood running through his fingers, mixing with the already muddy ground. She climbed to him ripping a piece of her dress off, the whole time he just eyed her. "Let me see your arm," Annie reached out for his arm but he just pulled away like she was going to bite him. "We need to stop the bleeding," she argued trying for his arm again but again he pulled away.

"Shit Ez, your arm." She hadn't noticed the young man moving to their side, he now kneeled next to the bleeding man. Annie studied the young face hiding behind the shoulder length brown hair. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and reached for the older man's arm.

Instead of pulling away, he gives in, handing his arm over to be tended to. Although to Annie it seems that he was _not _toohappy about it. "I assure you Master Dunne that I'm quite well."

"Sure you are Hoss and all that red is just the color bleeding from your jacket 'cause of the moisture in the air." This had came from the mustached man, who now stood behind Annie, Maddy stood next to him, a look of horror on her face.

Gloriana study the man in front of her, he was wearing a bright red jacket but his face was what held her eyes. His already pale skin was getting paler by the second, his bright green eyes was losing their shin, and his auburn hair was sticking to his face, whether from the moisture in the air or from the sweat that was starting to cover his body, she didn't know.

He made to stand waving away the youth, "Master Wilmington, when I…" A cry of pain escaped him as his legs gave out, Annie jumped to help but the other two men were by his side faster then could move.

"We should get you back to Nathan, before you lose an arm, then how would you play poker." The youngest said.

Annie move back beside Maddy making room for them to move. "Is there anything we can do?" She asked.

All three men looked up at once as if just now remembering them. She wasn't sure if she could trust them but they had just saved her and Maddy's lives.

"Do ya live far from here?" the youth asked.

Maddy shook her head, "I live 'bout two blocks 'way but Annie here lives half way 'cross town."

"We should walk them home, it's not over, I just don't…"

"Not now JD," the mustached man interrupted. "We would love for your help but I think it would be best if you ladies head on home and stay inside for the rest of the night. We need to get our friend some help."

She scanned each of their faces, eyes landing on the man in the middle, only standing with the help of the other two. She didn't know why but she felt like she had to take care of him, _they seemed to know what they're doing,_ she thought and they were acting like this wasn't the first time one of them had gotten hurt. She wanted to stay but she had a feeling whoever this Nathan was could help him better then she could. Leaning over she placed a quick kiss on his cheek, as well as the other two men. "Thank you for saving us, maybe we'll meet again."

The wounded man looked up at her, "Perhaps we shall but until that day fare well fair…" his head fell forward a hiss of pain coming from his lips.

"Come on Ez, let's get you home."

The two women stood there, watching their saviors leave the ally, a few second later a carriage drove by, the youth in the diver seat.

"Well who do you suppose they were?" Maddy asked.

Gloriana just shook her head, _what did he mean by it not being over?_ She thought, _what would they talking about?_

"Best we be getting home like they said, maybe you should come with me," Maddy offered.

"No, I think I should get back to the kids." She hated to go home soon, the night hadn't even started. Going home empty handed was not something she had planed on doing tonight. She needed the money for the medicine for Daniel but after coming within an inch of deaths door she needed to see her children's' faces. "Hurry on home Maddy, I'm see you tomorrow."

"You sure?"

"Yes"

"Alright, I'll come check on you in the morning." Maddy gave a wave of her hand before turning and heading off towards her home, leaving Annie by herself.

"Who could they have been?" she asked herself. Whoever they were she couldn't get the wounded man out of her mind. "They called him Ez." She thought back to the fight, trying to remember anything else that his companions might had said, "No, wait it was Ezra, the young man had yelled Ezra." She gave a sigh, upset that that was all she could think of.

She watch the last glimmer of Maddy's dress disappeared around the corner and out of sight. Turning she headed home, his bright his green eyes still in her mind.

**Author's Notes:**

Hope you like it, please let me know what you think of the new AU. Reviews are welcome and for the few like my friends, who want to know, this is a Close AU for now. Thank You.


	2. The Nightmares

**London Song**

By: Ruby Sparrow

**Chapter II: The Nightmares**

Ezra dropped into the chair holding his right arm, the white handkerchief JD had tied around it early was now a deep red. He watched as Buck went to get some water, while JD disappeared up stairs to get Nathan, the team's healer.

"Alright Hoss, we'll just get ya cleaned up here." Buck sat the water down on the table next to Ezra, pulling a chair up to sit down himself. He started unwrapping the makeshift bandage, stopping when he saw the cut. There was a lot of blood and he wasn't sure if he should take the cloth off the wound. _It's the only thing stopping the blood,_ Buck thought, he looked up to see Ezra's head slump back over the chair. "**JD, NATHAN!"**

Ezra's head shot up, a pounding right behind his eyes, _why me?, _he asked himself. He didn't know why they were making such a big thing out of a little cut. Although he was losing focus and having trouble keeping his eyes open but Buck's yelling wasn't helping. "Master Wilimington, if you could please keep it down?" He just glared at the man, who was now trying to hide a smile behind his mustache and doing a very poor job at it. Buck Wilimington was a good man, light hearted and always thinking on the positive side of things, which was most likely why him and Ezra got along so well. He's also one of the only three to welcome the gambler and ex-con to the group when Lord Triavs brought him to the team, letting the man have a chance to prove himself.

His head turned toward the stairs as JD came running down them adding more pounding to his already hurting head.

"He's coming!" He looked once more up the stairs before running to Ezra's side and knelling down besides him. "How ya doing?" He eyed the wound, his handkerchief still on it with Buck pushing on it. _This is all my fault_, JD thought, he dared to take a quick look at Ezra's face and was surprised when he saw the gambler looking back at him.

"Now JD, don't blame yourself for my present condition. It was my own doing by dropping my guard to those miscreants." Ezra could see the disappointment in the youth's eyes and knew that it was going to be some time before JD let this go. John Dunne, knew by the team as JD Dunne, was the youngest of the team, though Ezra was only older by four years. He was the second to welcome Ezra, having problems himself when he joined because of his age.

"I'm sorry Ez, I should have been faster with my gun."

"He's alive because of you JD," Buck said trying to cheer the boy up.

Dunne only nodded looking again at Ezra's arm, "Oh no!"

"What the matter?" Buck almost jumped out of his sit.

"Ezra, that's your favorite jacket," now he really felt bad. He had forgotten that Ezra had worn his favorite red jacket tonight and now it had a huge cut in it.

The gambler only looked at the sleeve, upset about the whole thing but JD was already hating himself about the wound. He stared back, his face as clam as ever, "Nothing a well trained seamstress can't handle. Not to worry Master Dunne."

"Maybe, but we should get you out of it before Nathan gets to it."

At this Ezra's eyes grew a size bigger, _why me, _it was fine right now but if the healer got to it there would be no saving the poor jacket. He did his best not to show the pain that shot through him as he sat forward to take the jacket off.

Buck had to go ahead and take the handkerchief off the wound but the moment the jacket was out of the way he push it back to the wound. "Should we get your shirt off too?" He already knew the answer to his question just by the look in his friend's eyes. _Come on Nathan, _he didn't like how the gambler's skin was starting to look.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Nathan was yelling as he came running down the stairs, he stopped dead upon seeing Ezra's arm and the blood red handkerchief wrapped around it. "I just knew one of ya all would come back hurt." _Just my luck too, the one that never wants my help_, he thought to himself. He walked the rest of the way to the three men, little black bag in hand. Buck had moved letting Nathan have the chair next to the wounded arm.

"I a sure you Master Jackson that I'm quite well and that our companions …"

"Oh be quiet Ezra."

"How bad is it Nat, is he going to lose the arm?"

Ezra couldn't help the shock that went across his face at JD's words, "Now Master Dunne let us not jump to conclusions before the good doctor has a look."

Nathan give the two a huge grin and he didn't even try to hid it, "It's not that bad JD," he had already started cutting the sleeve of the shirt away. _They got him out of his jacket, _he eyed the pile of red fabric sitting on the table. He never understood why Ezra made such a big thing about the red jacket but all he really knew about the thing was that the gambler had won it, where else but in a pocker game. He noticed the eyes that was watching him and looked up to see JD staring at him, Nathan looked to Buck standing behind the youth, _he's blaming himself again?_

Nathan didn't have to ask the question, Buck knew what the dark healer was thinking and only nodded in reply. The womanizer look on as Nathan went back to his work, pulling the sleeve away from the wound and quickly putting a clean piece of cloth on to stop the flash blood that started bleeding as the dried blood was pulled away. Buck noticed that Ezra's kept slipping forward and sitting up like he was trying to stay awake, "Maybe we should get Ez into bed 'fore he passes out on Nettie's new carpet."

At the sound the nickname they'd given him, he came back to where he was. "I'm alright gentlemen, it's only a small cut no need to over react. I quite w…" he had tried to stand and if it wasn't for the three men standing around him, Ezra would have found himself on the ground.

"Come on Ez, let's get you upstairs."

Ezra would have preferred to stay where he was but Buck was right, Nettie Wells, the housekeeper would give him more to worry about then just his arm if he bled all over her new carpet that Lord Traivs finally let her have. He unwillingly gave in to JD and Nathan helping him to stand and then up the case of steps, Buck came up close behind them encase someone lost their balance and started to fall backwards.

"Don't worry Ezra, the cut itself ain't bad but it's close to a vein, al' we gonna do is stop the bleeding and ya'll be back to cheating at cards 'fore ya know it." Nathan was saying as they got the Southerner into his bedroom and onto his bed.

"Miss Nettie, ain't gonna be happy about those sheets," JD stated fearing the wrath of the housekeeper.

"Better then the carpet," Buck said helping Nathan to get Ezra as comfortable as they could.

_Why me? _Ezra asked again, he knew that they were just trying to help but with every little movement there were huge waves of pain and dizziness. The last thing he saw was Nathan replacing the bandage that he was holding on the wound down stairs, 'cause just like JD's handkerchief it was already no longer white but blood red.

The sun was already rising when Nathan finished seeing to Ezra's arm. The cut wasn't that bad, like he had thought but with Ezra not holding still. The Southerner opened the wound wider and then ended up needing stitches. Nathan also had to argue with the gambler about not getting out of bed, that he still needed rest.

_Why can't any of these fellows take care of 'emselves,_ he thought, half the time instead of treating their wounds Nathan ended up fighting with them to take better care of themselves and to listen to him. Ezra was probably the worst out of them, second only to their leader Chris Larabee. When Ezra started complaining about the way he's being taking care of that normally meat that he was fine but when Ezra started saying that he was fine and didn't want to be looked after then there was normally something really wrong. Nathan and the team had learned about this habit of his the hard way and the healer didn't plan on making that mistake twice.

He came to the dinning room to find Buck sitting by himself already eating breakfast, "Where is everyone?" He made his way over to the food table, Nettie had too many things to do besides serving them breakfast, so she always just set it up on the side and let them serve themselves.

Buck looked up from his plate of eggs and bacon, looked around the table and then grinned at the healer, "Not here."

Nathan just rolled his eyes at the man as he took a sit across from him. "Wonder where they're all at."

"Chris said they might be late coming back from Lord Traivs's and if I know Chris, if Lady Mary was anywhere around he'll try to stay as long he can."

Nathan grinned back at the comment, knowing full well what he meant. As much as Chris denied it, the whole team knew that the man cared for Lady Mary Travis. The daughter-in-law of Lord Orin Travis, she had married his son but by unhappy events he past away a few years ago leaving her alone with a son and Chris had fallen for her and her kid when he first meet them.

"Didn't think they would be this late though," Buck looked over at the grandfather clock that set in the corner of the room. "Thought they would have gotten back during the night." Chris and the other two members of the team had to go to a party last night at the Travis' manor. "How's Ezra doing?"

"Doing fine last I checked, be doing better if he hadn't argued with me all night and lost so much blood."

"That's Ez for ya." Buck lowered his head so Nathan wouldn't see the smile under his mustache.

Nathan just shook his head, "Where's JD?" trying to change the subject off of the gambler lying in bed.

"Still asleep I guess," Buck didn't miss the concerned look that passed over Nathan's face. Normally JD was always the first one up in the morning, the only times they've known him to sleep in was when he had his 'dreams', those mornings he woke up even later then Ezra and the Southerner was known to not wake up not until noon.

"Maybe I should go check on him," Nathan said, being the 'mother hen' that he was.

"Leave him Nat, he probably just needs to rest."

"I don't like those 'dreams' of his, it's unhealthy when someone don't get enough …"

"**Mornin' JD!**" Buck yelled the greeting a little bit louder then he had meant to, _hope he doesn't realize we were talking about him. _"How are ya kid?"

JD only nodded as he got some coffee and then took a sit next to Buck. _Why don't they just ask me?_, he thought to himself. He knew that they were talking about him not being up before them, he hated it when they talked about him like that and think he doesn't notices.

"Did you sleep well?" Nathan asked.

"How's Ez?" He didn't want to talk about last night not after what he'd been through.

"He's fine," Nathan stated, "just needs some rest and then he'll be back to cheating at cards."

Again JD only nodded his head.

"JD, you had another dream, didn't ya?" Nathan asked. When no answer came he just shook his head, stood and headed over to the food table. This time he came back with a plate and set it down in front of JD. "You need to eat something."

JD didn't feel like arguing so he just started eating.

"You wanna talk about it?" Buck asked, he hated seeing the kid like this, in fact it kind of scared him when the boy shut down.

"Not really but if you have to know it was the same one," he took a sip of coffee, "so I guess last night didn't help any."

"Didn't help! JD what are you talking about? 'Course it helped those two women are alive 'cause of last night."

"But if I'm still having the same 'dream', then…"

"Look JD we'll figure it all out later, right now you're eating."

JD looked up at Nathan, _don't see how eating is going to help with not getting any sleep,_ he thought to himself but he decided to go along with the healer. After the night Nathan had with Ezra, JD didn't want to push the healer into another fight. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Buck grinning at him, as if he could read the boy's mind. JD grinned back trying to thank Buck for the attempt at cheering him up.

Although he still treated JD like a little brother and doesn't let him do anything to dangerous, Buck had been the first to really welcome him to the team. The others didn't understand why Lord Travis's wanted him in the group until he had his first 'dream' with them. _Why do they call them 'dreams'?,_ he asked himself. His team mates called them 'dreams', Josiah, the religious expert on the team calls them 'visions', JD just calls them 'nightmares'.

When he started having the 'nightmares', he thought it was just brought on by all the news that was going through town, about Jack the Ripper. Until one night when he dreamt about one of his friends being killed, he try telling her about it but she just wave it off as nothing but a dream. Then two days later she was found died, with the same wounds that JD had seen in his nightmare. He started looking in the past news stories and found that the first three girls that he dreamt about came true, the police finding their bodies four days after he remembered having the nightmares. He went to the hospital, hoping that maybe they could help but all they saw was a young boy with no parents going on and on about dreaming about Jack the Ripper's victims before they were killed. They would have locked him up if it hadn't had been for Lord Travis believing him and telling JD about the team that he was putting together.

Buck watched as JD started eating again, he could tell that the youth blamed himself for Ezra's arm. It was because of one of his dreams that the three of them had even went out last night, even after Chris had told them not to. Chris didn't care for times when the whole team couldn't go on the 'Hunt' and since he and the others had to go to Lord Travis' party, he had petty much ordered them to stay in. _The old war dog should have known better, _Buck thought to himself, _ordering us not to leave the house, he was just daring us to leave. _

"So," Nathan said breaking the silence, "Who's going to tell Chris?"

"Tell me what?"

At the unhappy sounding voice three heads turned to the hallway, there in the black out fit that they'd grown use to him wearing, stood Chris Larabee, their leader and on earthier side of him was Josiah Sanchez and Vin Tanner. Both of them with just as unhappy looks on their faces as Larabee.

JD and Buck looked at each other at the same time, both with a huge grin on his face, not wanting to be the bearer of the news. "So," JD said, "do you want to tell him or shall I?"


	3. The Party of Bad News

**London Song**

By: Ruby Sparrow

**Chapter 3: The Party of Bad News**

"I can't believe you guys went out, even after I said not to." Christopher Larabee was furious at his three team members that sat in front of him on the couch. He was pacing back and forth, attempting to not start yelling at his men. "I can't leave you two alone for a second," he was looking at JD and Buck. The two of them had become like brothers, unfortunately for Chris they were like the kind of brothers that were always getting the other into trouble. "And you…" he looked toward Ezra, who sat perfectly still, his arm wrapped in a new bandage.

Chris shook his head; he didn't even know what to say to the ex-con, _why can't they ever listen to me? _"Why didn't you stop them Nathan?"

"Don't bring Nathan into this Hoss! He tried to stop us but what were we suppose to do? Just sit here and let those girls get hurt?" Buck yelled in the healer's defense.

"Did you even save the girls?" Chris asked.

"Well yes…but…" JD started, not sure if he should tell Chris that he had had the same dream last night.

Ezra stared at the youth, knowing where he was trying to go but didn't know how. JD couldn't hide his nightmares from Ezra, even if he wanted to. The gambler had the quarters right next to the young man and he could hear whenever Dunne had a nightmare and then spent the rest of the night moving about his room.

"What young Master Dunne is trying to say is that although we could not escort the ladies home, due to unseen events," he paused rubbing his good arm over his wounded one, "we did however prevent any harm from befalling them."

"Yeah, what Ezra said!"

"Come on pard, we always go out on the hunt, why was last night any different?"

Chris glared at the three men, he had just had a bad feeling about last night. Lord Travis knew how much Chris hated crowed places and yet he insisted that Larabee be there, as well as Sanchez and Tanner; Vin being the second most unsocial member of their team. Chris had thought it would be alright for the others to go out on the 'Hunt', as the boys had started calling their nightly rounds but for some reason when JD had a dream with two girls instead of one, he quickly changed his mind. He ordered them to stay in last night, not hearing their protests Chris had believed that for once they would listen to him but he was wrong.

"They gotta point, Cowboy," Vin spoke up for the first time in the whole argument. The assassin had been standing by the fireplace, leaning against the mantle, "'sides ya know even if we'd all went, Ez would still have gotten hurt," he nodded to the ex-con, an grin on his lips. Ezra was one of the two team members that were always getting hurt out on the 'Hunt', whether it was a small cut or a broken leg.

"This was one of the reasons for the party last night."

The blonde just stared at the former preacher, he had been hoping to have some breakfast before talking about that, _or at least some coffee_, he thought.

"Chris?" Nathan's voice pulled Chris back to the men in front of him.

Larabee looked over his men, Nathan and Buck both had looks of confusing on their faces while JD looked like he had just seen a ghost. Ezra however looked as calm as ever, at least to anyone who didn't know him that well, to one of his team mates, he was just as confused as Buck and Nathan; and maybe a little pit worried. Chris shook his head, "That's not the tropic at the moment Josiah. Right now I'm yelling at these three for going against my orders." Chris hoped that would change the subject but he guessed wrong.

"Ya didn't give an order."

"What?" Chris asked staring at the tracker.

"All ya said was 'don't think you boys should go out tonight', never gave an order."

"Brother Vin's got a point there." Josiah moved taking a sit next to Ezra.

"Just who's side are you boys on?"

"It would seem the winning side, Master Larabee." Standish stared at Chris as if daring him to say something. He couldn't, however, stop his smile at the face the blonde was giving him, "I must say though that Master Tanner does speak the truth."

"You three knew damn well what I meant! Now we're down a man right when we need everyone." Ezra started to protest but Chris just held his hand up, "You can't fight with that arm."

"No, I will admit defeat in that area but I could perhaps converse with some of my associates to ascertain where those ladies reside, to find if they are indeed still in good health."

"Yeah, most of all that little Goldie Locks," Buck elbowed Ezra getting a groan from the gambler as he and JD started laughing.

"'Fraid we got bigger problems then finding those women." The joking stopped and they became silent, all staring at the eldest member. A few moments went by before he only answered with a sigh.

"Josiah…what's wrong?" JD was the one to break the stillness that had falling on the group. When no answer came the youth turned to the others, Vin was now looking at the fire, as if trying to forget that the others were there in the room. Chris however was looking right back him, his mint green eyes softer then normal, "Chris…?"

"They found a body at the London Bridge," the blonde answered, his team punishment forgotten. "She was by The Monument, and it wasn't a pretty sight from what Lord Traivs told us."

"She? Do they know who it was?" JD lower his head as if he was behind the death himself.

Chris looked toward Josiah and then Vin, _wish one of them would answer, _he thought to himself. He hated telling bad news to the team, most of all Ezra and JD. They may not show it but he had come to realize that for some reason death always effected them the hardest of those on the team. "Yes, they know…last night wasn't a happy gathering. Lord Anderson was having a wake, it was his daughter."

"Good Lord, Lady Elizabeth?"

"Not Beth?"

"That poor girl."

"What?"

Larabee had all four talking at once Ezra's Southern accent rising above the others. "Lady Elizabeth's body was found five days ago but they only figured out that it was her by the necklace she always wore."

"She was that bad?" Nathan could only imagine what kind of condition she was in if they had to go by a necklace. Being the team's medic he had examined all of the victims they had came across and he could never get them out of his head afterwards.

"Was the worst one." Vin answered as Chris only nodded.

"**The worst one!**" JD and Ezra yelled as one, while Buck and Nathan stared in shock.

"What do ya mean the worst one, she ain't the first?" Nathan asked, hoping that he had heard Tanner wrong.

"No, she wasn't." Josiah's voice was nice and calm as if none of this bothered him. "There have been six of them all together; three at the Monument, counting Elizabeth, one at the Southwark Bridge, another by the Bank of England, and the last was also by the London Bridge but closer to Fenchurch."

_Fenchurch?_ Ezra thought, that was close to where the three of them had saved the two women. "Why haven't we been informed of these cases?"

"Because other then Lady Elizabeth, the victims had just been nameless women."

"Now just a minute Chris, those women…"

"Clam down Bucklan, Chris is only repeating what the Commander from Scotland Yard said. Only not so many pretty words," he give a grin at the mustached man. "Don't worry, taught him to think otherwise. Didn't ya Cowboy?"

Chris only stared at the blue eyed man. Vin had picked up that nickname after hearing the blonde yelling at JD to stop comparing him to the cowboys in all of the dime novels that the kid read about the Wild West. For some reason Vin was the only one that Chris let get away with calling him that.

"Lord Anderson was the one that wanted us at the party," Larabee went on to informed the team, "He and Travis were upset with the other deaths but when they found Elizabeth…"

"Scotland Yard decided to take it upon themselves to stop these dreadful events?"

Chris nodded, "They didn't think it was Jack so they saw no reason to tell us."

"Why didn't I see this coming?"

All eyes fell on the youth, upon hearing the mumbled voice, he had his head down, his brown hair hiding his face. Buck moved closer to JD putting a arm around his shoulder. "Not your fault pard, ya can't dream about all of them, no one could. You shouldn't even have to be dreaming the ones you do."

"Buck's right, most men would go crazy with some of the things that you've seen," Nathan added.

"Beside, everyone ya dream about are attacked by Jack, it seems that this ain't the Ripper they're chasing."

JD looked up at the assassin, mouth opened to protest but just shook his head and lowered it again. Buck and Ezra eyed each other over his bent back. _Poor JD,_ Ezra thought _already upset about my arm and now this._

"What makes them think it ain't Jack?" Nathan asked.

"This."

Josiah had pulled an envelope out of his pocket and out of that some pictures, setting them on the coffee table. The three on the couch lend over the photographs as Nathan moved away from the doorway he'd been standing in. There were six of them, each of a brick wall and they could all guess where these brick walls were from. One had red brick so it was harder to see but on all of the walls there was a symbol, drawing in what looked like the victim's own blood, the symbol was a badly drawn sun with an eye in it's center.

"What is it?" Buck picked up one of the pictures, eyeing the image.

"Not sure," Josiah answered, "in all of my studies, I've never seen anything like this."

"But this is why the authorities assume that the murderer is not our friend Jack?"

"Murderers Ez, there's more then one."

"And how do they know this Master Tanner?"

"They found three sets of footprints at one of the scenes."

"What made the prints?" Ezra asked but he had a feeling that he didn't really want to know.

Vin just stared and if reading his mind, told him so. "They found them with the body before…JD yer 'right?" His blue eyes settle on the youth, who's face had became whiter than the bandage around was Ezra's arm.

"More than one?" JD looked to Buck and then to Ezra.

"Perhaps you've been dreaming of these ladies after all," Ezra stated studying the faces in the room, three of them had looks of confusing. _Patience is a virtue gentlemen,_ he thought to himself, Chris hadn't given them time to explain what had occurred the night before, he had just started yelling at them. "Last night the damsels in distress had two attackers, which is why I'm in my current condition."

"But ya saved them?" Vin now stood next to Chris, both were staring at the cardsharp.

"Like Ezra said before, we saved them but couldn't see them home…I" JD went silent, his brown eyes gazing quickly at Ezra's arm before back at Chris's mint green gaze.

"Might as well tell them JD," Nathan said.

"Tell us what brother?"

JD gave a sigh as he looked toward the pictures on the table. "I don't think those women are safe from whatever this is just yet."

**Author's Notes:**

Again I hope you in enjoyed it, also like always reviews are welcome. I hope to update soon, if RL will let me.


	4. The Damsel Returns

**London Song**

By: Ruby Sparrow

**Chapter 4: The Damsel Returns **

It had been almost three days since that night she and Maddy had been saved by those three stagers, but Anna still could not get those green eyes out of her head. She had asked around but no one knew of this Ezra or his companions, although one girl said that she remembered seeing a man with a mustache and a young man at The Haven. So now here she sat, The Haven, a tavern where people of the lower and upper class could just come and enjoy themselves, together.

Annie rarely went there herself but when she did she always sat by the fire. The Haven wasn't a big place to begin with, but with a bar taking up one wall and a fireplace another, it didn't leave much room for tables. _At least it's easy to find a person in here,_ she thought, if any of the gentlemen showed up Annie would see them.

The hearth sat to the left of the door, with benches around it so folks could just sit and warm up a bit. Running down the middle of the room the floor raised up a little to another level with a stair case of four steps. The bar took up most of the second floor wall, there were truthfully only stools to sit at, there was one table to the side of the bar, however no one ever sat there. _Don't think I've ever seen anyone sitting there_, she thought.

"Would you like a drink, senorita?"

Annie looked up to see the woman that owned The Haven, Inez Recillos, a beautiful young woman from Mexico. At first people though she was crazy for wanting to run a pub most of all in Whitechapel but somehow she had pulled it off and now The Haven was one of the most well known places to go, no matter your social standing.

"No, thank you Miss Recillos …"

"Please call me Inez," she said turning to look at the bar.

"Alright Inez, maybe you could help me though. I'm looking for three men, one in particular. He has short curly amber-brown hair, bright green eyes, and a rather odd accent."

"Si, I know him, Senior Standish. One of the nicest seniors I've ever meet, he and his companions." Inez sat the tray she was holding down behind her as she took a sit next to Annie.

Annie couldn't stop the happiness that went across her face, "Oh thank goodness, do you know where I can find them?"

"Are you in trouble?" Inez had seen this women in here once and a while but didn't know much about her but if she was looking for the boys then there was most likely something going on. She didn't look in trouble but Inez had learned that not everything is what it seem.

"What? Oh no, no. I'm not in trouble, not tonight anyway but a friend of mine and myself got into some trouble the other night and they helped us out, unfortunately we didn't get to thank them." _So they have helped people before,_ she thought, _it did seem like they've done that often._ Gloriana listened as Inez went on about not worrying too much, that knowing they helped someone is enough of a 'thank you' for those boys. Gloriana grabbed Inez's arm as she started to leave, "Perhaps you're right but Mister…Standish, as you call him, wounded his arm and I wanted to see if he was well." Annie didn't expect the look of horror that covered the woman's face and didn't know what to say or do.

"How long ago was this?"

"About three days ago," Annie answered, "do you know them well?"

Inez was about to say something when the door opened and Annie couldn't believe her eyes. In walked the dark haired young man and the gentleman with the mustache, they were laughing about something. They didn't seem to notice anything around them as they went up the steps and to the table in the corner. "Please excuse me senorita." Inez grabbed the tray as she stood making her way to the counter.

_Where is he?_ Annie thought to herself, _should I go over to them._

As she went to stand, the door opened again allowing two more men into the tavern. One was wearing all black from his shoulders to his toes, the only thing that wasn't dark on him was his blond hair. Even his mint green eyes seemed cold as he study the faces in the place. Behind him was a younger looking man dressed in different hues of browns, the darkest part was the jacket that almost went to the ground. He had light brown curly hair going to his shoulders and bright blue eyes, Annie swore she saw a smile flash across his lips as he looked towards the counter where Inez was standing.

Gloriana watched in silent shock as these two also made their way up the steps to the table. They weren't even in their sits before Inez was bringing over a tray with four glasses and a bottle of some kind of drink.

*** * * ***

"Welcome Seniors," Inez placed the four glasses on the table along with the bottle that was set in the middle.

"Evening Inez," JD greeted the brunette before grabbing the bottle and started pouring drinks for everyone, afterwards he just handed the bottle to Chris.

She gave JD a small smile, as well as one to Vin and Chris, getting only a nod from them. Inez had gotten use to the silent pair not talking unless it was really needed but she had yet to figure out how these two ended up with the rest of their team mates. A hand covered hers as she went to pick up the tray.

"Hello my sweet Desert Flower…"

"Don't you sweet Desert Flower me Buck!" She yelled slapping his hand away, making him take a step back almost falling onto JD who was laughing. "Why did you not come tell me about Senior Standish being wounded?"

Buck had his hands up in front of him as he jumped around his young friend and took a sit. "I didn't think you would care," he answered his eyebrows going up in confusion. He heard Vin chuckle and turning to look, even Chris had a smile on his face. "Why ain't you yelling at them?"

"Because I didn't see them yesterday and this happened three days ago." Inez stepped around JD who was still laughing and loomed over Buck so much that he almost fell backwards out of his chair. "One of your companions get hurt and you didn't think I would care?" She threw her hands in the air, "I should…."

The words were lost to Buck as she started yelling in her native languages, JD was laughing so hard he almost fell out of his chair a few times. Vin was now laughing from what Inez was saying, he didn't know much but he knew enough to get by when the tavern owner went off like this. The womanizer tried calming her down but everything he said made things worst and soon even Chris was laughing at the poor man.

"Inez, calm down, Ezra is fine," Vin said, "ya know we would have told ya if something was wrong." He finally spoke up feeling a little sorry for Buck, _if he's gonna keep goin' after her, he should learn how to talk to her,_ he thought. Buck had been trying to court Inez since the day she took over the old fall apart tavern. The rest of the team didn't know if it was because he really did care for her or if it's 'cause she is the one and only women to ever turn him down. The assassin grinned as Inez back off, her hands on her hips and a look saying that it wasn't over. "He just hurt his arm, Nat say he'll be fine."

"Might not see him playing cards for a while though." Chris' laugher died away as he went back to drinking, he hid a grin however when Buck gave Vin and him a silent thank you.

JD was doing his best to stop laughing but the look Inez was giving all of them now wasn't helping. "Lost a lot of blood but Vin's right…" he stop chuckling staring at Inez. "How did you know about Ez?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Buck stared at the maiden, confusion written on his face.

"Why the senorita over there…" she pointed to the fireplace but there was no one sitting there. Inez looked around the room but she couldn't see the women anywhere. "That is odd, there was a senorita by the fire asking about you seniors."

"What did she looked like?!"

"What? Where?"

JD and Buck jumped from their chairs both attacking the brunette with questions. Vin and Chris were just staring at the door, knowing full well where the women went.

"I…I can't remember really but she had blond hair and…" Inez didn't get to finish before JD and Buck were running for the door, the others following n few seconds behind.

"Thanks Inez!" Vin yelled back, the last one out of the tavern.

Inez just shook her head as she put the stopper back in the bottle and started picking up the cups. "I wonder what all that was about."

*** * * ***

Gloriana wasn't sure why she was running but when she saw the men joking around with Miss Recillos she just left. She had spent the last two days looking for these men and now that she found them, she couldn't face them.

She ran turning onto Leadenhall Street but fell backwards as she collided with something. Looking up from the ground she found that it was wasn't something but someone that she had ran into. The man with the blight blue eyes stared down at her, offering his hand to help her up, "Sorry 'bout that."

As she stood her head went back and forwards between him and The Haven a few times. "How did you do that?"

"We're still trying to figure out how he does some of the things he does." She turned to see the brunette coming up behind her, the young man close behind him.

"Nice to see you again," the youngest of them said, "we didn't really get to introduce ourselves last time. Name's John Dunne but my friends call me JD." He stated taking hold of her hand and shaking it.

"JD, that's no way to treat a lady," this came from the brunette as he took her other hand and gave it a slight kiss on the back. "Buck Wilmington madam and I am at your service."

Annie felt her cheeks warming up at the kiss, no one had treated her like a lady in a long time but the thoughts disappeared, pulling her hand away, when she saw the man in black coming up behind them.

"Don't worry 'bout him ma'am, he's not as bad as he looks." The blue eyed man walked around coming in front of her, "Vin Tanner," it was all he said in way of introducing himself.

"And this fella is Chris Larabee," Buck said pointing to the blond.

Annie started on at the four men, she didn't know what to say. She had mainly just wanted to find out if the one gentleman was alright, not to get introduce to his friends. Four sets of eyes watched her as she try to decide what to do.

"You can talk can't you?" Chris asked, getting a disapproving look from the other three.

"Yes, I can, although I don't see how it's any of your business," she snapped at him before she could stop herself.

JD and Vin were doing their best not to laugh at the look on Chris's face, as Buck's eyes just got wider. "A lively one, no wonder Ez likes her." A huge grin covered his face as he slapped JD on the shoulder, causing the youth to step forwards, "I'm sure you two would get 'long just fine."

"Ez? Do you mean Ezra Standish?"

"You've been researching us." It was more a statement then a question as blue eyes narrowed at her. Vin wasn't one to have people knowing more about him and his friends then he knew of them, it was a old habit that came from his past job that had never died away.

"Hold on there pard, she was most likely trying to find out who her saviors were the other night."

"Mr. Wilmington is right, like young Mr. Dunne said we didn't get to introduce ourselves and I wanted to see to Mr. Standish's welfare. Also I…what?"

"Yep, they would get 'long all right." JD smile at the girl as she reminded him of the team's cardsharp. After the nightmare the other night he had been afraid that something had happened to her and her friend and that he wouldn't have been there to help. Even after he told Chris everything, Larabee wouldn't even think about letting anyone out until Josiah knew more about the symbol that was in all of those photos. Today was actually the first day that Nathan let JD day out of the 'house', after the other night the youth barely been eating anything and it was starting to scare the healer. "I think we finally found Ezra's match alright."

"You wouldn't happen to like poker, would you?" Vin asked with a small grin.

"I…I don't understand," Annie stuttered at the question.

"Never you mind them, what's your name?" Buck jumped in, realizing that they were most likely scaring the poor girl, although she was doing well not to show it. _She's got a poker face just as good as Ezra's_, he thought to himself.

Once again she looked over the men not sure what to make of them but they had saved her life once and she was sure that she at least owned them her name. "My name is Gloriana Walker," she introduce herself making a low curtsy to these gentlemen.

"Well, Miss Walker, you'll be happy to know that Ez is doing just fine and will be back to saving beautiful damsels in distress in no time." Buck smiled as he noticed the sigh of relief that she gave at his words. "Would you like to come see him?"

"Buck…"

"Come on Chris, it's clear she's been trying to find us. Why not take her to see Ezra?" JD argued in Buck's defense. It was also to do with the fact that now that they had found her he didn't want to let this woman out of his sight. He had never had the same nightmare four nights in a row, even after they'd saved whoever was in it.

Annie watched as the youth slowly took a step backward as if he was trying to get away from the glare that this Mr. Larabee was giving him. She was confused by the action but she had to admit that she would have took a step back herself if that glare was directed at her.

Chris looked from JD to the girl and then to Buck and Vin.

"You were ya way to meet Lord Travis cowboy, ya know they're just gonna take her anyway." Vin answered. The four of them had just left Scotland Yard and had stopped at The Haven to drop off Chris for a meeting with Lord Travis, they were only going to have a drink or two before they went to meet with the others at one of the crime scenes. He knew that it wasn't so much Miss Walker meeting Ezra but the fact that they were going to be seeing things that any kind of woman shouldn't be seeing.

Chris just sighed knowing that Vin was right, no matter what he said, these two were going to take her and something told him that even if all of them said no, this woman would follow them if only to see Ezra. Larabee had to hand it to the gambler, he was really annoying as hell sometimes but like the other members of his team they all had a different talent with people. He only nodded his head as he turned around and headed back toward The Haven.

"That settles it then," Buck said clapping his hands together. He turned to Gloriana a grin on his face, "Well Miss Walker, what do you say?"

"But he didn't say anything," Annie eyes widen pointing to the blond walking away. She wanted to see the green eyed man that had saved her the other night but she didn't want to cause trouble between his friends.

"Actually he did, you just need to know how listen," JD was back to standing right next to her, a big grin on his face.

At that Annie realized that these men must have been working together for a very long time and she wondered just how many of them there were. She didn't realize that they were staring at her again, _waiting for me to say something,_ she thought to herself. Giving a smile and making another curtsy, "Lead the way kind sirs."


End file.
